25-30?/366 Sorry for the long delay-Back in action!

Good day to you all! :)

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. I am sorry I did not post but I warned you fair and square that it might happen. Ben and I had a friend over for the weekend and it was the Magic the Gathering Pre-Release tournament. If you had any doubts at all in the past about mine or my fiance's nerdiness... you can be rest-assured that we are, in fact, quite nerdy indeed.

It was a splendid weekend filled with a TON of laughter and a lot of fun. We ate a lot and some of it was not as good as others, however, we both stuck to our guns in regards to binge foods and to things we should stray away from-so we did well there as well.

I won't give you a run-down of the entire weekend but I can give you a few snip bits. We made home-made coconut pancakes (they were good but a bit dry seeming) ... we ate out a lot! and then today we had eggs and stuff... I know not a lot of excitement huh? I have pictures to make up for the lack of excitement-don't worry.

Today was my first day back at Cross Fit for real after my baseline. I am reminding myself continuously that I am not in competition with anyone but me. I have to push myself and I have to try my best. Today was one of those days. The ACTUAL work out was 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of power cleans and chest to bar pull-ups for best time. (If this doesn't make sense to you... well... I am sorry but I suck at explaining LOL...) reps... so 10 reps of power cleans, 10 reps of chest to bars... 9 reps rinse and repeat. My set up however was 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-3-2-1 and rest when needed with no weight on the bar and jumping pull ups instead of chest-to-bars. Well... I did that... I rested 2 full times for at least a minute and a half and then pushed through the rest. I pushed myself VERY hard. I sweat like a pig before the WOD even got started... and my time was 7:30... I got done before everyone else... but everyone else did the full WOD. Was I cheating myself? ... no... I was getting my ass off the couch. I did what I had to do. I will keep going. Next time is Friday at noon... I will be there!

This time I had a banana before hand and had a shake, some eggs and a sweet tater afterwards... it really helped a lot having energy!

Wanna see some pics?

 This was me cooking pancakes at like... midnight o clock... it was fun tho! :)

 I love sausage! my favorite meat quite possibly... and pancakes YUM! they were dry tho :( boo

 OMG! is that 2 Logans?! yes... yes it is... Logan made a mask of his face... because he knows I am secretly in love with him so now Ben can be Logan... yeah... we are weird.

 My answer to cereal... Toasted almonds, walnuts and coconut with a bit of honey and milk... it was really pretty good.

 Happiness in a pan! Onions and sweet taters cooking up together... yum!

Throw a few eggs on top! YAY! this is about half an onion, half a sweet potato, 3 eggs and about a tbsp and a half of GOOD OL FAT! :) (from the sausages!) 

Hope you enjoyed what I had to offer! Be back soon with more reports!

Thanks!

Manda

24/366 Do you mind?

I know I post daily-and I do enjoy doing so... but it is late and I am tired and don't feel like looking at  a screen... this is me offering to post tomorrow. SO... temporarily this is my post for tonight-Tomorrow I WILL edit to add more.

ETA:

So my day was pretty good. I actually was kinda crabby and I think it is because I waited too long to eat (went to bed hungry and woke up hungry) etc. Also I just kind of felt blah but Ben pointed out that soreness can make one feel that way. I felt fat and lazy... but walking was so extraordinarily painful that I could hardly stand to do it. I am doing much better now thanks... I will return to CF next week for 2 WODS/Week until the end of Feb... then March will start 3WODs/week... Then April I might mix it up and do 2 WODS and 1 OLY ... we'll see... experimentation is fun! OH the reason I am waiting is because we have company starting today and a pretty busy weekend ahead of us-so I would rather be able to move than to have to stumble around. That is all.

Food for today(yesterday) was 2 eggs with left over (From Ben's dinner last night) bacon and sweet potatoes and mushrooms (I didn't want mushrooms so i traded all my mushrooms for a small piece of bacon with Ben... without his permission :) )  Lunner was chicken... it was marinaded again... this time kinda lime/teryaki style? IDK it was good tho. I made some red-pepper aoli to go with it and it tasted delicious! (Thanks Mims!)

And for dessert we had smoothie/shakes... I would go with shakes. A hand full of strawberries and a couple scoops of vanilla and chocolate fuel with some milk OMG SO GOOD!

 This is the chicken before it goes in the fridge to marinade over night... YUM!

 Before cooking....

 eggs and stuff

 After cooking...

 Chicken on the plate before I decided just to take it to work.

 This is my to go containers... ps the onions and red peppers and garlic tasted like CRAP after marinading and stuff... I suggest cooking new ones if you want veggies with it... Just really mushy and odd...

Shakes. MMM

So that was the day-Sorry it took so long for me to post. This weekend is nerd-weekend (also known as Magic The Gathering Dark Ascension Pre-Release Weekend) My posts will be short (shocker) but they will be good! :)

Have a great FRIDAY!!!!

Manda

23/366 OMG I AM SO SORE!!!!

This post will be short. Because I am tired and I have a chicken to marinade.

BUT I do want to at least post something...

Breakfast-primal fuel (we are out of real food-this is dangerous... grocery store here we come)

Lunch/dinner-Chicken *tortilla* soup... no tortillas... there were beans and corn tho-20%... It was free food and it was better than me eating the cinnamon rolls on the counter next to it (thanks R! ;) )

Speaking of R (not saying full name to respect her-I don't know how she would feel about being posted about) I totally introduced her to the Primal Blueprint... She loves it! Luckily she was already on the right track which made her completely susceptible to the information. SUPER awesome! Also she was a vegetarian for 5 years! She knows the negative impacts it had on her body which is just awesome to hear! Today she came in to work and i heard someone walking briskly toward my station... she stopped right in front of me and said "OH MY GOSH! Salmon skin really is the bacon of the sea! YUM!" And then she left cuz I got a call... I was cracking up and she sat next to me and just kept saying "YUMMY!" and I just kept giggling! :) I love my job!

SO... Every inch of my legs are sore... my lower abs are sore (Yep they are in that flabby tummy somewhere...) and my shoulders are... well a bit sore... I didn't make it to the pull ups REMEMBER?!

I don't know about tomorrow's workout. I took an Epsom Salty bath tonight and that should help-we'll see how I am feeling.

Do you use Fish Oil? I hear it helps with soreness, inflammation, and a lot of other things... if so whats the best bet?

Hope your Thursday ROCKS!
Manda

22/366... Slow going and Baseline at CrossFit

Hello there. If you read my post earlier today-I really thank you. Apparently it got some attention because it had a lot of hits... in a FAST time frame... if you are one of those who commented <3 thank you and I love you too!

On to the rest of the day. I woke up feeling kinda sniffly. I did sleep last night, however, but woke up at 830am feeling SPLENDID (other than sniffles and itchy throat) and just wasn't sure how I could be so awake.

Ben and I figured out that the culprit was a scented oil diffuser (is that what they are called? with the pretty jar and the reeds?) I got it for Christmas and Ben set it up the other day when we cleaned... apparently it got to me in my sleep. I did not feel well at all. Very crummy-I wish that I didn't have the reaction to scents that I have but it is what it is... I am the reason your office is a "Scent Free Zone" I will take the blame-that's fine. :)

So I went to CrossFit this morning and did my baseline. I think I should say, "I attempted to do my baseline." If you don't know what the baseline is it is like your first *workout* at crossfit to see where you stack up... 500m row, 40 squats, 30 situps, 20 push ups and 10 pull ups. I made it through the first 4 ... by the pullup part I was at 14:30 mins and was about to faint. My trainer told me to take a break... when she asked if I had eaten... I realized I had not... at least not much. So... rule of this story... eat before you WOD. I am going back Thursday for the noon class. I am thinking 2x/wk for a few wks then boost it up to 3x/wk. I am excited to get going on it again but I would be lying if I said that I was not disappointed in myself. It is really hard to start back from the beginning-from worse than the beginning. Ben told me let this be a message to ourselves not to let this happen again-and I think he is right. The only way I can look now is forward. The best option is for me to be able to respect that this is where I am starting... whether it be starting over or not... this is a beginning and beginnings are not easy, especially when it comes to starting a new lifestyle change.

 Thanks Mims... this pic fits perfectly!

So then I got home and we had Primal Fuel (Vanilla) with whole organic local milk... it was really quite yummy. :)

Then we had lunch which was a couple pineapple bratwurst (Which I dipped in mayo mixed with that bbq sauce)  SO GOOD!

For dinner I met with one of my very best friends and bridesmaid Tove. We went to Grille 26 (the awesome restaurant) again... I had steak tips with asparagus, onion and mushroom... and balsamic glaze it was very good!

Then when I got home I was still hungry and I cooked up some scrambled eggs with cheese and my favorite salsa... some of which we still have in the fridge left over from last week! :)

So that is it. I hope your day was equally pleasing. Be safe tomorrow!

Manda

A post about elitism and exclusivity... because I felt like it.

I am not the kind of person to baffle you with my incredible knowledge. Nor am I the person who has 35 links to all scientific journals. I have never been one of those people who is convinced at the drop of a hat once it has been "proven" by science or some doctor or scientist somewhere said something that sounded like it might have been proven. I guess part of that is because I am a person who relies mostly on my own intuitions and feelings towards things overall.

Being Primal (and I am Primal not Paleo as it has been made pointedly clear in the last day or so) is a choice I made because it FELT RIGHT to me. That is it. I saw some people (Tim and Brenda) who had some kick ass results. Just like in OA you find someone who has what you want and you make them your sponsor... Brenda was already my mentor for interpreting in my internship-why not take that a bit further and have her be my "Primal Sponsor"... worked for me. I saw her results and I copied her behaviors. I read "The Primal Blueprint" and I spent hours upon hours on Mark's Daily Apple. None of this time was to learn the science behind it or know all the technical reasons or the "proof" ... it was to see other people's results and to build relationships that, to this day, are still going strong. (I think you will agree Melissa, D, Deanna, Amanda, Batty, Jenn, Teri, Amy, and Shannon) The friendships I acquired and the knowledge I gained from them are invaluable.

Since then there was a Facebook group created for other Primals... it has a really inventive name it is called PRIMAL... (I know right?) From there I branched out and met even more friends who are SO important to me (Porter, Amber, Roger and more). My relationships continued to grow and I was, at the same time, able to grow as a person. No one needed to send me an article or link me to a boring lecture to tell me this is what was right. No one had to prove to me that these relationships meant something-it is just the way it is. It felt right, and so it is right.

Something I always loved about my experiences on MDA (I am not a huge forum goer anymore because it took on a feel that I don't support which I will address later) is that no matter what I had to say there was always someone there to back me up or support me. Not with *cold hard facts from the Internet* (Come on people-really?)  but with their emotional support which is what I, as a human, really need. Maybe I am less evolved than I should be... maybe I am missing the whole "Intelligent Being" wagon that rolled by... if that is the case *Shrug* Oh well... I highly value the spiritual side of my being and if I had to sacrifice that to be more intelligent... then no thank you.

I guess where I am going with all of this is that something I have valued and cherished for so long (Since February of 2010) something that has quite literally saved my life seems to be taking on a trend that all too many things do. The trend of "elitism and exclusivity" as I put in my blog title. I am not one who has ever done anything to fit in. I am true to myself regardless of what it does for my social life. I have never been a fan of fads or cliques because they EXCLUDE others. I have been that person. I have been on the other side of the bully's stick and it was never easy. To think that making snide comments about a person's life choices is not bullying is just as ignorant as saying the sky is not blue. And if your first instinct is to respond to this with a scientific documentation proving the sky is not blue, you should know, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!

All I am asking is for a bit of respect. Some love and some peace. What happened to make people adamant against getting along? Is there something in us that creates the need to argue and fight? Where did that spawn from?

Just know this. I don't judge you. Even if you don't fit in somewhere else-you will always fit in with me. There is enough room in my heart for each and every creature in this world and I value all of you. Everyone is different, that is true, but we all need love to survive... if you would like I could find a scientific document to prove that is true... but I wont.

Please-think before you speak. Don't criticize someone just because they believe or do something different than you do. I was considering removing myself from my more recent group on Facebook (International Paleo Movement Group) because I feel that the point of this group is exclusivity and elitism, not support and love. I may stay on a bit longer and just post really nice and loving things on every single post I see. I think that love is exponential-you can not run out of it... and it is also contagious. Please-Spread the love.

Thanks for reading. I hope your day is just as beautiful as you are inside and out.

Manda

21/366 21DSD/3 week results!!!

So it has been 3 weeks. They are a bit of LONG and a bit of SHORT! Going day by day helps me stay in the present and be grateful for every moment of my day... however it does seem to make time go by slowly. Which is probably a good thing, too, now that I think about it. I guess it is already almost the end of January. This month has been very good to me and I feel that is just a good sign of the year to come! :)

Today's Food (since it was fairly boring) was ... a bowl of soup (it is potluck week at work and someone brought in ham, veggie and cheese soup) of course I was half way through my bowl when the lady was like "do you like it" and I was like "Oh yeah it is good... how did you get it so creamy!?" and she said... "Well i mix a bit of flour in with the butter, milk, and cheese" and I was like "DAMNIT!" (In my brain at least) I ate MAYBE a cup (like measuring cup) worth of it... so I am sure at most I got like a half a tsp of flour in total-nothing that will kill me.

I brought to work an already made Primal Fuel shake... THIS TIME we used ALMOND MILK... HOLY SHIT!!! It tasted SO GOOD! So smooth and creamy and perfectly perfect! It was like a chocolate milkshake! I am not even kidding... all I would have to do is add some ice and blend that up... It would be PERFECT on a cold summer's day... WOOT!!!! (or frozen fruit)

I also had 3 slices of bacon and some cheese (Today was a work all day kind of day-so I kinda grabbed what I could for fuel...)

Sleep--You all know how I have been sleeping lately... Like a rock for 8-10 hours every night... Well last night my head hit the pillow and I could not sleep a WINK!!! I literally stayed awake until 5am ... it was very frustrating. I don't mind if I don't need 8-10 hrs/night... I would prefer it was on my terms though! SHEESH!... I tried several things... it took a lot to get me out. I was very surprised when I woke up at 930 and felt rested. It is nearly 8pm as I am writing this and this is the first sign of sleepiness I have had all day. Not bad at all.

So now for results? Are you ready?...

Weight:
Week one: -5lbs
Week two: -3lbs
Week three: -3lbs.

TOTAL: -11 LBS!!!!

Measurements:
                                        Day 1               Day 21
Neck                                14                         14
Bicep                                15.5                    14.5
Forearm                            10.5                    10.5
Chest (over)                     46.5                    46
Chest (under)                    40                      39.5
Waist                                 40.5                  38
Hips                                  47                     46.5
Thigh                                25                      22

Total inches lost: 8inches!!!!

I mean what???? yeah buddy-this works!!! :)
Ben lost a total of 5.5 lbs but he has really slimmed up a lot too!

Next step-get started at CrossFit again... Next month will be to see how much change there is with eating healthy AND exercise... Cool huh?

I was going to post pics but I don't really see much of a difference-maybe next month k?!

Take care-have a wonderful Tuesday!!

See you tomorrow!
Manda

20/366 Short post because it is late and I am not that exciting!

So today was good. We slept in. Got up and lounged for a bit. Ben cooked some fries which were on that recipe TAWFUNGUY left on my last post. They turned out good-still not crispy... IDK if it is our oven or the fact that Sweet Potatoes just prefer being squishy than being crispy. You know what? I can relate!!! Of course we didn't have much amayozing mayo left (Yeah i did that-what?) so I made more of that as well! :) YUM! We heated up the burgers and chowed down on a fat and protein rich diet with a few carbs.

Speaking of carbs, the carbs were SUPER useful too because we cleaned house today... We didn't get as far as I would have liked but we did get quite a bit done... which is good. The kitchen and Bathroom are SPOTLESS!!! (Because I am my mother's daughter) and the living room is comfortably lived in which is how I like it. :)

We then went to Ben's parent's house where we do our Laundry bi-weekly... I know we are lucky... and don't worry we are grateful too! :)

His pops fixed dinner... it was brats and broccoli and cauliflower with pickles... SUPER YUM... I had mustard with my brats... I didn't read the packaging on the brats-when it is free food I try to ask as few questions as possible because I feel like I am putting people out... (Like when I ask people to not smoke around me when we are in their own house, car etc. ... )

So here is a pic:

As you can see by the MUSTARD ART on the plate... I had a second helping of brats. :) 

That was mostly my day. I hope yours was beautiful. We got another 1.5 inches here in SuFu... It is gorgeous! Really warm for January still, even with the snow. Grateful to have some moisture. 

My mom takes her big test in a week and my Bro can use some help too... so if you don't mind could you do a week of prayers/good thinking/whatever makes you comfortable and sleep at night--for my family? We can all use a little boost of positivity once in a while-I think they have earned theirs. 

Thanks. 

Happy beautiful week to you all!
Love, 

Manda

19/366 A battle of will... Ben won.

So today was some day. Quite the day indeed.

Got up this morning and felt like every inch of my body weighed 30 lbs each... I couldn't hardly move I felt so heavy. Last night by the time we went to bed I was so exhausted... mostly from crying... that I conked out really fast again. I, once again, slept like a rock. I had a very vivid dream, again, as well-finally not about food... but about people and community... it was nice. Except in my dream I was late for work-Thank god that wasn't reality! YIKES!

So I was heavy and hardly human so I laid down on the couch and SLEPT SOME MORE! For pete's sake! You would think all I do is eat, sleep, and work... it's damnear close! But once I woke I felt much more rejuvenated. And I was craving burgers!!!

So I talked to Ben and asked if we could go get burgers somewhere... he said "I think that would be fine" but then we both got to discussing it and I know, and he knows, that part of this detox is detoxifying our eating out. Also I checked the bank to see if we were doing OK financially... we are *OK* but not great by any means... a pretty good reason NOT to go out for lunch. So we sat there and debated. I know that if I went out I would want BBQ sauce and that is DEFINITELY not primal... loaded with sugar... It would be hard.

So we each had a Primal Fuel shake and sat around and debated it ... for like an hour! I went from meatballs to meatloaf to burgers and back again. My primary concern was that 1. I didn't want to have to go shopping, 2. I didn't want to cook or do dishes, and 3. I wanted to be a spoiled brat. Basically that was the gist of it.

Even when we were at the store buying ingredients for things (Ben grabbed the Make It Paleo cookbook and found a BBQ sauce and I knew what the Mayo from Everyday Paleo needed) I was still not feeling well. I think part of it is the tail end of the "flare up" that I had last week. It really takes a lot out of me and limits me physically which made it really hard. Also I was just kind of in a beat-myself-up mood all day.

However, once we got done and got home and started cooking-all my worries were washed away... :) I am currently going to marry the most magnificent man on this entire planet. I know you might want to argue that your husband is better-and you might be right... he might be the perfect one for you. This one-this one was DEFINITELY made for me. He gets me every time! :)

So let's move on to some photographs shall we?

 These are sweet potato fries... Ben julienned them!

 My MAYO!!! It turned out PERFECTLY!!! Thank you Mims! (I used the Everyday Paleo Mayo Recipe)

 This is the done fries-Do you have any recipes or ideas for us on how to make them better?... they didn't turn out SPLENDIDLY... just kinda OK.

 This is the BBQ sauce from the Make It Paleo cookbook!

 The onions on the skillet after the burgers got done!

 The burgers... YUM! The satisfied my red meat craving and had bacon and cheese too!

The feast before the sauces...

 This is the post-saucyiness! (how do you even spell that?!) SO GOOD!

This was my day... it was great. 

I love you all! Thank you for reading. Have a warm and wonderful Sunday!

Manda

**PS** I don't know how the word "laid" got highlighted in white... it was not a subliminal message or anything!

18?/366 WOOPS!.. and chill... like BURR chill.

Hello there young people of the world. :)

I am pretty sure today was boring to most standards... so keep that in mind.

Something cool that DID happen this morning was that we woke up to a half a foot of snow right outside our back door! :) It is crazy! LOTS of snow! I guess it had to come eventually... 60 degree weather in January in South Dakota is just a crazy once in a life time thing...

Last night when we went to bed I was REALLY exhausted so I conked right out and slept like a rock until I woke up. Somehow in my dreams I keep forgetting that I have quit sugar... People will be eating candy right next to me and I will ask for some and right when it almost hits my tongue I stop and think "WAIT A MINUTE" Then I throw it... it is odd maybe my subconscious is telling me I am doing a good job and to keep up the good work!? We'll say it's that...

Another odd thing-My belly button is red and irritated and kinda doesn't smell nice. This has happened in the past too when I haven't been eating well... but this time I have been eating great!? Chalk it up to Detox health crisis? ... let's.

The OOPS and the 18? are one in the same (I am talking blog title here people, keep up!). I was reviewing the last couple weeks' posts and realized... I doubled a number!!! EEK! 2 days were labelled 9/366... So technically it is 18/366 (fascinating how i did two 9s ... 9 and 9 is 18 ... or 9x2 is 18 ... same diff... COOL HUH!? and it is 9 days later! WOW) ;)

Anywho... FOOD?

Eggs and Bacon for breakfast... I am the eggspert (GET IT? GET IT? ... expert... now do you get it?!) LOL I am funny! So I am the eggspert in our family for cooking eggs... I can make any egg any way you want it (sunny side up is kinda tough... but every OTHER way.. ;) ) So I throw em in the pan and Ben is weird and likes all sorts of crap on his so I just say "Come season em honey!" and this is what he does:

Bens Eggs with: Basil, Oregano, thyme, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder... WOW

Yeahhh... I know right? Silly man!

So the rest of the day was hanging out-we watched 12 monkeys (Ben hadn't seen it) and then I went to work. I brought the leftover tomato soup to work and that was about it...

OHOHOH my project... Wanna see some pics?

 That is the whole enchilada so far.

Pat's Winter block.

So I decided to back-stitch around the borders of each "block" so that it pops out more... What do you think? The Snow Flake is to represent WINTER time for the 4 seasons requested by my future mother in law Pat Wermers :)

Trust me-the rest will come ;)

I am keeping a book a journal (Since I have a million of them) for all of the requested patterns and ones I have designed myself... I am putting the request date and completion date as well :D

Thank you please keep the requests coming!


OMG I thought of something else to write about (shocking I know!) ... I am having a "wow i look good" day... Even though I cried for an hour (totally unimportant) I still look good. my neck and face look better on screen and so do my arms... I feel like I am starting to see a difference which is always nice.

Once this 21 days is up Ben and I are going to start making adjustments as needed to our diet. We might do 21 days PERFECTLY CLEAN and then the rest of the month have some pancakes with whole organic maple syrup... or bake a goodie (all primal) or two... but we have yet to decide what we will do on that front. What are your thoughts?

Take care!
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!
Manda

16/366 Primal Fuel and Tomato Soup... YUMMY DAY!

Hello! :) Welcome to my blog. Today is day 16/366... I am posting daily if you can't tell. Sometimes even twice daily (when the spirit moves me). I have to say that it is getting harder because it's so one-day-at-a-time. Some days are more boring than others-but posting keeps me honest. So as long as you don't mind suffering through my bland days... then I don't mind writing them.

Today's adventures called for taste testing our newest member of our daily lives Mark Sisson's Primal Fuel. I guess it means we officially have broken the 21 DSD since having this is against the rules... but it really is super good and really good for us. With the busy lives Ben and I lead it is really important to have some snap second meal-replacement options not to mention Post-WOD stuff (HAHA if I ever get back to WODing). I have to say Primal fuel is REALLY DELICIOUS. I understand that it is super expensive (80 bucks a jug) but it is SO HEALTHY and SO NUTRITIOUS. Ben and I both felt GREAT after having it. The entire reason we made them was because we both weren't hungry then all of the sudden minutes before I had to leave for work we were both grumbling in our tummies so we grabbed my CFSF shakers and dumped some in there... IT WAS SO GOOD! It also kept both of us satisfied for the next 2.5 hrs (from grumbly tummies to satisfied) until supper.

I do have to say I am not a fan of protein shakes with water. They taste like flavored water and I don't like being able to taste the water through it. We are going to try them with Almond Milk and Whole Organic Local Milk as well... I will keep you posted on that.

Speaking of supper. We had home made Tomato Soup! From the Make it Paleo cookbook (seriously if you don't have this... buy it... ). It also gave us the opportunity to use the gift we got from Mims! :) The immersion blender! WOO! that thing was crazy awesome... and the soup was DELICIOUS as always.

Our hopes for Eggplant Grilled Cheese was really kind of a failure. I don't know if our Mandolin just doesn't slice thick enough or whatever but when we baked the eggplant there were holes in it and it was not solid like we were hoping... SO we just threw the cheese and bacon on top-tossed it in the broiler-and VOILA still yummy. We put our... open faced sandwiches? on the bottom of the bowl and dumped YUMMY on top of it. The flavors were PERFECT. The cheese and bacon in the soup was delectable, not to mention, this soup has a bit of a bite to it so the sweetness of the eggplant counter-balances it so perfectly! REALLY an all star meal! :)

PICTURES!!! :)

Primal Blueprint's Primal Fuel Dark Chocolate in a CrossFit Sioux Falls Blender Bottle (you would think I get paid for this)

 This is the Vanilla Creme... You should smell these things... yum.

 This is tomatoes and onions and chicken stock and stuffs

 Simmering...

 Ben and I realized that fingers are the primal version of a kitchen brush!

 This is the topping for the eggplants ... it is cheddar cheese and bacon and lots and lots of seasonings!

Ben with the immersion blender we got from Mims...

THE MAGIC OF TELEVISION!

1.75 minutes in the broiler... BAM!

Since they were flimsy we just put them in the bottom of the bowl.

 

Add basil... YUM! :) 

And that is that. Thank you for being a part of my Thursday!

<3 Manda

15/366 SLEEP... sleep... ZZZzzzZZZ

Hello there.

I hope you got a chance to read my blog post that just went up not too long ago. It was something I have been working on for a few days, but something I felt really needed to be said.

There is something else I plan on posting on that might be a bit controversial. For those of you who know me well (and most of you do because I wear my heart on my sleeve) I hate confrontation. So we will see how that all goes.

SO this morning I was supposed to get up early and go do my baseline for CrossFit. I did not go. Due to other circumstances I am VERY tired-all because of the detox mostly (I am assuming and told by most people). So I slept until 1045.

Then Ben and I went grocery shopping... (Today was grocery day) We got: 1 whole chicken, chicken stock, 3lbs bacon, 3 dozen eggs, basil, 5 tomatoes, 2 heads of garlic, a bag of onions, an eggplant, cheese, 4 limes, roasted red peppers, chipolte seasoning, ground ginger, paprika, tomato paste, coconut aminos and more Olive Oil.

this week's menu is: Make It Paleo Tomato soup with (Ben's creative idea) Eggplant Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and a Yummy Lime pepper chicken (another of my marinades) served with a form of chipolte mayo (home made for the first time). We will see how it all turns out.


After shopping we went to Ben's Mom's house where we had lunch. Ben ate left over crab legs with butter and I had left over taco meat with cheese and salsa... SO GOOD.

We played with clay! :) CLAY!!! Wanna see what I made? (Ben made a 1-up mushroom that got squashed by falling off of the table.) I made an Armadillo and a flower... :)

 This is an armadillo-believe it or not.

My flower-I hope it actually works out... its so pretty. 

That was fun. We had a good time. I had a really hard time there because I knew there were so many foods I "wanted" to eat but couldn't/shouldn't. I felt kinda like I would expect an alcoholic to feel in a bar. It was really hard. Not to mention at about 2pm I started yawning and getting really tired again. Ben asked if I wanted to go home and take a nap and I said that would be really nice. So we did. 

I took a 1.25 hr nap and really enjoyed it. It helped loads. My sweet dear friend Mimi continues to tell me that it is part of the Detox. And Ben is so understanding and compassionate... he just lets me sleep. 

I worked tonight and then when I got home we had eggs and bacon... all of which were AMAZING!

:) 

So that is it for tonight. I hope you have a wonderful night as well!

Manda

Communication through Abstinence.

Being an over eater (OE) is challenging and trying to find ways to be abstinent is even more difficult because there is no way to simply STOP EATING. We (OEs) learn through a trial by fire method sometimes, we have to try and try again to find what foods we can and can not eat. Sometimes, unfortunately, this can lead to an unexpected binge which sets us back at day one. Not only that but admitting to someone that you are unable to eat like a normal person is very hard as well. It is not like food is a *drug*. Food has never (and will never) be illegal. Food is not something commented on often by people with addictions or in recovery, even. Recovering as an OE is a challenge and I am blessed enough to have a partner in my recovery.

As you all know Ben is my best friend and partner in life. He and I met almost a year and a half ago and have a very easy relationship. Ever since the first day we met we had a simple understanding of the compromise relationships required, as well as the vast importance of communication. Even though Ben is an incredibly shy person-he works hard to ensure that communication between him and myself is seamless. Likewise, though I am a woman and I would rather be passive-aggressive by my stubborn Irish nature, I know that Ben loves me no matter what I am going through and he will always support me. This theory has been tested, tried, and passed more than I care to admit-and still we are capable of such incredible things.

Last year Ben and I were both doing really well on our individual programs. We only got to see each other once every week (3 days out of 7 on the weekends) and so we did our best to be together every waking hour of those days. We cooked a few times together, we ate at his parents quite a bit, and we went out a lot. It made sense since he was only here certain days and it was easier that way. Then when we planned to spend Spring Break together last year I had a whole plan of us eating delicious meals at home. Well... I have a tendency to lean toward the *GOING OUT* more than the *STAYING IN* (this gets expensive and very unhealthy). We went out every single day that week. *sigh*

Then late in the spring Ben and I moved in together and started enjoying our life together throughout the summer. And during that time... we went out... A LOT. Ben estimates that we ate at home roughly 6-10 times since we moved in last may. THAT IS BAD! (That doesn't include re-heating meals or quick things like eggs and bacon) We had a problem.

I have always known that I have a problem with food. An unhealthy relationship and dependency on the stuff. I LOVE food. I love food more than I love my own life-which is proven by the fact that I have eaten myself to an obese state with many pending health issues. I was pre-diabetic when I became primal... and I think at any moment, if i let myself, I could get there again. As a matter of fact, after letting myself eat out so much and enjoy an ice cream probably 2-3 times per week I was leading myself right back to where I started. Unhealthy, unhappy, large, and depressed. I couldn't figure out what to do. So I started going to meetings.

On October 8, 2011 I went to my first Overeaters Annonymous meeting. I was scared half to death. Not because of the set up-I get it a lot of people in my family have been through, or are going through, recovery. More so I was scared of what I would have to do. I knew that admitting I was a COE would mean I would have to go through a lot of growth and recovery. I also knew it would be hard to go home to someone who was also suffering from the disease if they didn't understand where I was coming from in my program. Overall I was scared half to death.

I got started on the steps and have gotten through step 3 and am now... admittedly... dodging step 4. I am not sure what is holding me back. There is nothing I am afraid to admit. I know what my list will have on it already... I just don't feel secure yet. Maybe I am jumping ahead to step 6 LOL and trying too hard to think of WHO I will tell... Who knows-and who cares... that is not what this post is about.

Ben also joined OA (I asked his permission before posting this blog entry). He has been abstinent for 15 days (WOO HOO GO BEN). It is not easy for either of us, but it is 10 times easier with a partner. At any given moment Ben and I can have a meeting together if we are struggling. We speak the same language (and I don't just mean English). We can communicate with each other in such a smooth way that it isn't even a challenge. There is no fear when I am telling Ben something I feel might disappoint him. There is no anger ever in our words. Ben and I have NEVER gotten in a fight, and usually I would be concerned for people who have never fought. Isn't it normal for people to fight or argue? Yes. It is. But that is because that is how they communicate when there is something holding them back. Ben and I just never get there because we are constantly talking about how we feel. We communicate more simply than most people and that is because we never stop.

Last week I could feel that Ben was anxious or upset about something, I can almost always tell with him... sometimes it is just a headache other times it is something much worse. He was bringing up how when we are "Done" with this 21DSD thing we can eat some things again right?... We talked about it for a long time. It took over 2 hours of communication on and off. Some of it frustrated, some of it just comments here and there. Eventually I was standing in the kitchen and almost started crying and explained to Ben that him being abstinent and being a part of this healthy lifestyle WITH me is like the greatest gift he has ever given me and if he is constantly wondering when he can get back to the old ways then it will make it harder for both of us. For us it has to be an all or nothing thing. This is an addiction.

Then Ben took a moment and realized that that is exactly what was happening. His insane brain (The one that is addicted to eating, food, over eating, binging and worst of all sugar and potatoes) is constantly trying to tell him, "well this is just temporary it's only days, maybe months until you can get your fix again." Ben then looked at me and said "I am abstinent and I want to stay this way. I know I have been trying to talk myself into things, trying to find ways to sneak out and get food while you're not home... that is the sign that it is the insanity, the addiction, talking and not anything worth while."

I am so happy and grateful to have my perfect partner in my life.

One last thing. Today has been a REALLY hard day for me. I am having problems with a virus that I have (May be discussed in a later post) and I am really really being tempted by bad foods. I don't know why 15 days in the cravings are gone... it is all mental now. This is how it was handled:

From me to Ben:
 I am really struggling today. At your moms house (we went over to visit) I wanted to raid every cabinet and find something to eat that was bad for me... I don't know why.

Have you had days like that?

It was really hard!

Ben's Response:

I have had days where I was like "well i can just go to hy-vee and get __________, cook it and then no one would know...", but then I sit there, wait and think... "Why do I want that? I know its not cause it would taste really good, cause I guarantee it won't, cause you've done that before and afterwards it really didn't, so it's not that. Is it because you need food? Well... I'm not really hungry, if I am there is food i can eat here... K, so Why? Cause I'm addicted to certain foods and my brain really wants to trick me into eating those things... but I'm working on getting smarter and stronger then my tricky side of my brain to be able to stand up to him and go 'NO, YOU DONT NEED THAT' and 'STOP IT BRAIN' "
So, yes, I've had days like that.

He is totally working this program... together-we have a super power. Together-Ben and I can conquer anything.

Thank you Muffin! I love you so much!

Manda

14/366 Slow and steady.

Good day to you.

I am doing well except that it is FREEZING cold outside. I suppose this was inevitable since it is JANUARY!

I don't really have a lot to say about food today. Ben and I got up and cooked eggs. I got my headlight fixed. CrossFit Baseline got canceled but rescheduled for tomorrow at 930. I worked-and it was good.

I am about to go eat left overs from last night.

The OA meeting was canceled as well (apparently) because of Bill Janklow's Visitation. I hate not having a meeting to go to.

That is about it.

Thank you for your contributions to my cross stitch. So Far I have: R2D2, Claddaugh, Seasons, and SWAK... there will be more I am sure. At least I hope.

Peace and love and gratitude be with all of you tonight. Please try to stay warm.

Manda

13/366 A good day... for me and for you? *WEIGH IN DAY*

Hello there readers. Today was a beautiful day for me. How was it for you?

I am going to be brief because I wanna get to my pet-project and I am sick of looking at a computer screen.

First off-my headlight is out on my car-so I am fixing that tomorrow. After that I AM GOING to CrossFit for real this time so stay posted for the results of that. :) I am really excited to get going to with crossfit again! (fascinatingly enough my "First day at crossfit" post is still the number one read post on my entire blog...)

Ben and I got up this morning and did our weigh ins. He is down another 2.5 (putting him at 5 lbs in 13 days) and I am down another 3 (putting me at 8 total lost since 13 days ago) Pretty awesome right?

I worked for a good 5 or so hours today which was good. Ben and I prepped for supper before I left for work and then I worked. I was starving by the time 5 rolled around so I swung by the house where my sugar had eggs ready for me to eat (I hadn't eaten yet all day-woke up NOT hungry AT ALL!)

Then I got home and we had stir fry (last meal on last week's menu, first one on this weeks). Here are the photos:

 This is chicken and onions in one of my "Special Marinades" which you may get lucky enough to see the recipe for at some time.

 The veg! (All cut ahead of time)... Red, yellow and Green Bells, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms

 This WOK is bigger than your head... I almost guarantee it

This is the finished product. :) YUM It was so good!!!

So that is our food subject for the night. I hope you enjoyed it. Everything tasted absolutely divine. :) 

Now for something near and dear to my heart... cross stitch. Last year I got the idea to do a "Cross-stitch per day" Kinda making a cross stitch quilt. I then realized that idea did not work well for me. I got a piece of Aida (Cross stitching material) and I have a box FULL of string. (both pictured below) I have designed a few different "blocks" for my quilt but I need your help. If you want to be a part of this I would love for an idea of something to represent you in my quilt. I will be posting pictures regularly as I update. If you have more than one idea that is great too! Anything from just a 5x5 square of your favorite color. Your favorite animal or a flower. You want a flag... I can do that too. Just tell me something that represents you that I can add to this large and beautiful work of art. 

Thank you. 

 Box of colors in rainbow order... ANY color you can imagine I have or can get...

I have really big feet... so you can imagine how big it is... I think its 3x4 feet. One day it will don my walls! :) 

**ETA (Edited to add)**


 The first "block" of my quilt. A gradient rainbow. This is the red-green part.

 This is the teal-black part.

 This is what it looks like as a whole. It is 11 inches.  (Sorry the pic quality is crap-you will get sick of seeing this thing so it won't matter much ;) )

Thank you for your readership. Hope you are well. Take care.

Manda

12/366 Happy Meal and a Kiddie Movie.

Another blog title written my by lovely Ben Wermers! :)

Speaking of him today was DATE NIGHT and it was quite the day actually. We got up this morning... and then I took a nap HAHA (yeah that really happened). At first I was totally ticked off at myself for going back to sleep and sleeping in so late (especially when Ben was all awake and stuff) but then I realized I worked 45 hours this week, I went to bed late and got up early, I am also cleansing my body of impurities and trying to get myself whole again. SO then I realized "Hey Manda! Rest is part of it! Rest when you are tired you dork!" and so I did-and it was wondrous!

Then, after my nap, I went and got my nails done. They were in REALLY bad shape... my cuticles especially, so I went ahead and got them done and then splurged and got a pedicure as well... Wanna see a picture?!

Pretty huh? I went with a really neutral tone for my nails because in my job that is really important. My toes are "meep meep meep" after the Muppets. I really love the colors! I even wore open toe shoes on our date!!! :)

So then I came home and we got ready to go out on our date... We looked ADORABLE! Wanna see how cute we are? (OF course you do? am I insane?!)

Absolutely adorable right!?

So then we went to the movies... But before we left both of us started getting hungry (we hadn't eaten yet at all!) So we took a snack ... Paleo/primal equivalent to popcorn and candy! :) Nuts and almond(Sunflower) coconut balls:

We were ninja-like and used my purse to sneak it in!

After the movie (which by the way-if a 2D Disney movie comes out again in 3D i will just skip the 3D and go to the 2D... it really was not a big difference) we went to one of my VERY favorite restaurants Grille 26.

We both ordered the same thing the Angus Meatloaf... it was supposed to come with Yukon Mashed Potatoes and Haystack Onions but we both subbed Asparagus and sauteed onions. OMG so good... we also both opted for the side salad with the house red wine vinaigrette. Delicious meal. 

 This is a salad.

This is meatloaf. 

And this is my handsome man. :) <3

I hope you had a perfect Sunday as well! I love you all and I am so grateful to live the life that I have! <3 

Manda